


The Creature Of Many Faces

by ExtremelyLost919



Series: Nosk’s Adventures throughout Hallownest [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Deviates From Canon, Events happen before Knight fights the Radiance, Nosk is sentient, To An Extent, also not infected, and a girl I guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22551784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtremelyLost919/pseuds/ExtremelyLost919
Summary: Rumors say, that hidden in the deepest parts of Deepnest, lives a horrendous creature. A creature that scours the memories of bugs and takes on the appearance of those held in dear, to lure them into its lair. They say it’s an unsightly beast, and if you ever come across it, well...it is said that those who follow the beast, never come back.Nosk wouldn't say that's completely true.
Series: Nosk’s Adventures throughout Hallownest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649863
Comments: 7
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

Rumors say, that hidden in the deepest parts of Deepnest, lives a horrendous creature. A creature that scours the memories of bugs and takes on the appearance of those held in dear, to lure them into its lair. They say it’s an unsightly beast, and if you ever come across it, well...it is said that those who follow the beast, never come back.

Nosk stared at the lifeless bugs hanging above her in her place of abode. She waited patiently for the strange little bug with two horns to come bounding into her lair. _When was_ _the last time she ate?_ Nosk’s mind wondered. Time had grown meaningless down in the deepest parts of Deepnest. Who was to tell after all? The infection had spread all throughout Hallownest and Deepnest alike.

A rustling sound cut the face-changer out of her thoughts.

Her prey had arrived.

The strange bug, holding a bright lantern, cautiously walked towards Nosk and tilted their head out of curiosity. Nosk stood in the center of her lair. Her appearance, very much akin to that of her prey. 

The bug took another step forward. 

Oh, how she always _loved_ this next part. **_Crack_ ** . The look of _terror_ on the faces of her prey when she revealed her true form. **_Crack._ ** Nosk smirked as she slowly gained height over the bug, releasing her trapped limbs along the way with more cracking sounds that reverberated off the walls. The bug took a nervous step back. “ **_SCREEEEE!!!”_ ** Came the noise out of the face-changer. The strange bug stood frozen for a moment before fully jumping backwards and pulling out a nail. They stood in a defensive stance. " _So the little morsel wishes to fight back?_ " Nosk laughed internally. 

_"So be it."_

Nosk lunged at the small bug with another screech. The strange bug jumped over her head, landing a blow before landing behind her. Nosk quickly turned around to lunge at the bug again, not faltering. The bug jumped over her, once again landing a blow. _“_ **How irritating.”** Nosk hissed. “ **Just** **_DIE_ ** **already!”** Nosk screamed as she jumped into the air. She slammed down where the bug was standing, only for them to dodge away in the last second. In the moment it took for her to recuperate, the small bug landed more hits on the face-changer with their nail. " _I won’t be able to last much longer like this!_ " Nosk panicked.

Nosk took another leap into the air, and slammed onto the ground, once more missing the small bug. “ **_STOP RUNNING AWAY!”_ ** The face-changer screeched. Her actions became more ravaged the more hungry she became. She _couldn’t_ let her next meal leave the reach of her hands. Not when food rarely came to her doorstep. Nosk sprinted at the small bug, but this time, she knew their next movement. The strange bug attempted to jump over the ravage creature running at them, but Nosk jumped upwards as well, colliding with the small bug, finally doing some damage.

Nosk landed awkwardly as the bug crashed to the floor a few feet away from her. Now was her _Chance!_ The face-changer took a staggering step forward. The small bug slowly got back up on their feet and faced the horrendous creature. With one final screech, Nosk lunged at the small bug...

And the small bug unleashed the most otherworldly of screams.

  
  


Nosk can’t remember what happened after that.

(To be continued….)

*also here's a thing I sketched of their fight :3*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Word: RANCID EGG

_A dark expanse. Skulls crushed and cracked by those who’ve fallen. A bright light that shone from above._ The Knight’s memories played over and over in their sleeping mind. _Falling siblings. The pale light slowly becoming closer and closer as they made their way towards the top. The King walking away with the sibling thought to be pure. The wind whipping past them as they fell..._

The silent bug jolted awake.

They sat motionless for a moment, before getting up on two legs. The vessel turned around and spotted the face-changer motionless on the ground. Oh right. Ghost walked up to the unconscious creature. They tapped the creature’s head with the blunt end of their nail. No response. 

…

The knight looked around the small cave and spotted the entrance they came in from. They walked towards the entranceway, but abruptly came to a stop when they saw its condition. Rubble and debris blocked the passage out. The vessel was trapped. They slowly walked back to the center of the shapeshifter’s lair and plopped on the ground and waited for something to happen. A bit of time passed in silence, until it was abruptly stopped by-

_Grumble_

_A_ strange sound echoed across the cavern.

The knight tilted their head. A sound? Where did it come from? They jumped back up. _Grumble._ There it was again. The vessel walked towards where they thought the sound was coming from. _Grumble_. The vessel stopped in their tracks. There. The face-changer. They cautiously walked towards the slumbering creature and stood near it’s abdomen.

_Grumble_

The Knight pulled out their dream nail and slashed at the unconscious bug. The mystical blade made contact with the slumbering creature and thoughts appeared in the vessel’s head. The thoughts weren’t theirs however, as they belonged to the shapeshifter.

~ **It’s quite lonely in this corner of deepnest**.~

The knight slashed the bug again.

~ **_Food rarely comes down here anymore_ **.~

Once more, they slash with their dream nail.

~ **_I’m hungry. That’s all there is to it. Perhaps I should leave Deepnest and hunt elsewhere._ **~

The vessel found their answer. They sheathed their dream nail, and pulled out one of their many rancid eggs in its stead. The knight walked in front of the slumbering creature’s face and placed the rancid egg on the ground. Perhaps the face-changer would be willing to eat it?

_————_

_A strange smell made its way towards the face-changer’s nose. “What’s….that…odd…...smell?”_ Thought the slowly waking up face-changer. Nosk blinked awake. “ **My Prey!** ” She scrambled to get up. “ _Where?! Where!? WHE-“_ Her leg bumped against something. Nosk looked down. In front of her was a single, oddly smelling, orange egg thing. “ **Wha?** ” Nosk peered closer at the rancid egg. She poked the thing with the tip of one of her foremost limbs. It was squishy at the touch.

_Clang._

Nosk tensed up. She whirled her head around in the direction of where the sound came from. There, sat the extremely odd bug that knocked her out. “ **_You…._ ** ” The face-changer hissed menacingly. She took a step towards the bug on wobbly legs. _She wasn’t going to attack the strange bug in her current state, but if she could intimidate the creature…._ Nosk took another menacing step towards the bug. The small bug unfazed, shuffled their hand through their cloak, and pulled out another one of the odd smelly eggs. They then offered it to Nosk. Nosk stared dumbfounded at the tiny bug. “ **What is this, tiny morsel? Some kind of piece offering?** ” she laughed. 

The small bug offered it to her again, waving it in front of her jaw. “ _What does this strange bug expect me to do?”_ Nosk thought, bewildered _._ The bug kept waving the egg in front of Nosk. _“_ **_You know..._ ** ” the face-changer hissed as she inched her face closer to the small bug. “ **The** **_only_ ** **reason I’m not attempting to** **_KILL_ ** **you right now, is due to the fact, tha-** “. The small bug shoved the rancid thing right into Nosk’s mouth. 

**_WHAT-_ **

A range of emotions swept through the shapeshifter at that moment. _WYRM did the egg smell HORRID, but_ **_WYRM,_ ** _did it taste_ **_HEAVENLY_ ** . (The shapeshifter may or may not have felt that due to being starved, but there was no way she was willing to admit that.) Nosk swallowed the rancid egg with a gulp. “ **_GLEHCH._ **” Nosk gagged.

“ **_What was that foul smelling THING you just shoved down my throat?”_ ** Hissed Nosk. The strange gooey texture still lingered in her mouth. “ **Urk…”** Nosk grimaced.

The small bug tilted their head to the side in thought. They then brought a hand to their mask and patted an area where an assumed mouth could have been. “ **_Tsk._ ** **You can’t expect me to understand your odd hand gestures** **_._ **” Nosk said, sitting down in front of the pale creature, all attempts at intimidating them forgotten for the meantime. The small bug then rubbed a spot on their abdomen. Nosk stared at the bug and pondered their action. 

Seeing that Nosk still wasn’t understanding, the strange bug pulled another egg out of their collection of assorted goods and brought it to the area beneath their eyes. Making eye contact with the horrendous creature, they then pretended to eat the thing, and rubbed their abdomen as if they actually ate it. Finally it clicked for Nosk. “ **This is….** **_food?_ **” Nosk spoke in awe. The strange bug nodded. They handed her the egg and stood up. 

“ **Ah, so the morsel wishes to leave….** ” Nosk accepted the horrid smelling egg. “ **I don’t** **_usually_ ** **let my prey leave.** ” Nosk said, staring at the hanging corpses above them. “ **However,** ” the face-changer continued, bringing her attention back to the small bug who was slowly inching towards the blocked entranceway. “ **for you, tiny morsel, I suppose I’ll make an exception… as long as you give me more of these horrid smelling egg things.** ” She motioned towards the rancid egg. _They weren’t the best choice of food per say, however, at least the eggs WERE a reliable food source._

The shapeshifter got up on all legs and maneuvered her way towards the small bug. She stopped in front of them and knelt down. “ **You are willing to lend me more of them...yes?** ” she asked. The small two-horned bug stared at Nosk. They then rummaged through their cloak and pulled out a map. Showing it to her, they pointed to a bright red pin located below the center of the map and towards the right. After tapping it, the small bug pointed at the rancid egg left on the floor, and then back at the pin. “ **That is….where you got the eggs, I suppose, tiny morsel**?” The strange bug nodded, and put their map away. 

  
“ **Well then…** ” the shapeshifter smiled. “ **I suppose I’ll just have to do some expeditioning then.** ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have that feeling that this story will end up turning into "Nosk's quest to find and devour all available rancid eggs."  
> \---  
> Nosk is such an interesting concept. In the game, we never really know what Nosk is. Or what they potentially look like under all those fake appearances. In my opinion, I think there's a lot of leeway when writing Nosk's character in this. It definitely adds a lot of entertainment for me to figure out. ^w^


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue, my friends, dialogue-

**_CRASH_ **

“ **Tch. There you go, tiny morsel.** **Your way out has been cleared…** ” the face-changer huffed. She shook off small bits of dirt and lifted herself from the pile of rubble she made from destroying the entranceway. The small vessel briefly nodded in thanks. Nosk huffed again and turned her head to stare at her dimly lit home. The corpses of her previous meals dangled like morbid trophies from her ceiling…She vividly remembered a memory from a time long ago, in which she managed to strangle a quite angry looking devout…though at the expense of losing one of her precious meals. “ _I’m going to miss this lair…._ ” Her eyes softened at the thought.

Hearing a rush of wind, Nosk turned her attention back to the entrance way. The small bug with two horns had disappeared. Running away to do something more pretentious to them, she presumed. ” **How hilarious,** ” the shape shifter muttered. “ **the tiny morsel never even bothered to bid me farewell.** ” She laughed behind her stolen face. The face-changer then stretched out her limbs, popping a few, before relaxing into a neutral position. “ **_Ah, that’s much~ better. I’ve been feeling all stiff since I woke up earlier._ ** _”_ She ducked her head and took a few steps into the dark tunnel that led to and fro from her lair.

“ **Though, it’s quite the bummer that I’ll be feeling just as stiff as a shellwood plank again later…** ” Nosk outwardly sighed. 

She continued walking at a slow pace. **_Crack._ ** The shapeshifter’s spine bent at an odd angle. “ **The tunnels of Deepnest sure are a pain when it comes to space.** ” She continued. **_Pop. Crack._ ** The face-changer continued contorting her frame, as if what she was doing was a completely natural thing to do. She paid no attention to the corpses of bugs she’d killed in her past as she slowly came to a fork in the road. **_Crack_ **. The face-changer was finally finished with her transformation.

Nosk twirled and admired the brilliant red color of the cloak she now donned. She brushed a slender limb across her two horned mask and smirked. “ **I’m absolutely positive that** **_creature_ ** **near the abandoned village cares about this appearance...I think it’s about time I paid her a little visit~.** ” The face-changer hummed. She leapt from the ground and landed elegantly on the floor of an upper path. The slender disguised shapeshifter then quickly weaved her way through the tunnels of Deepnest. 

She blatantly ignored the heart wrenching cries of infected little weavers, ran past the skittering hoards of Dirtcarvers, and avoided the infection filled acidic spit of the Deephunters. She had a specific location in mind, and wasn’t willing to stop, even if it was for a quick snack. Nosk expertly hurtled herself over pits of spikes and slid herself in a little alcove when she spotted some slumbering Devout. “ **_I’d rather risk my life to get another chance to eat those foul smelling eggs, than deal with another one of your kind._ ** _”_ Nosk spat, keeping a close eye on the slumbering fools. Her grudge against them lingered in the back of her mind. Them with their heavy hits and those fake faces... The way they viciously destroyed her prey... No. She was getting distracted. The shapeshifter quietly slipped out from the other end of the alcove and directed her attention downwards. 

Slipping her way through a few more tunnels littered with spikes, the shapeshifter eventually arrived at the home of the Midwife, one of the few infection-less, albeit still dangerous, creatures within the Distant Village and Deepnest as a whole. Nosk quietly lowered herself down onto the rocky floor of the creature’s lair and brushed away some stray dirt and string that had decided to linger on her fake cloak. She slowly walked to one end of the tunnel and stopped, staring at a hole in the wall. Nosk coughed, and a large creature with a four eyed mask poked their head out of the hole. Noticing the form of the disguised creature in front of her, the Midwife visibly perked up.

“ **Why, it’s been such a long time dear child!** **What a pleasure it is for you to visit home~** ” the Midwife smiled.

Nosk stayed silent as the bug continued, amusement lingering in the back of her mind. “ **What is the reasoning for gracing this old bug with your presence? Is it information you seek, my dear, hee hee? That is something I’m, of course, willing to provide~** ” the Midwife clasped her front two limbs together happily.

Nosk tried to hold in her amusement, but alas, a shrill laughter escaped from the face-changer’s throat and echoed across the tunnel. “ **Haha!** ” the shapeshifter laughed full-heartedly. The Midwife, startled, quickly shrunk back into her hole. “ **You aren’t the gendered child…** ” the creature hissed. 

“ **No, I’m not. Though I’m quite surprised my little disguise managed to trick you,** **_dear Midwife!_ **” Nosk chortled.

A realization suddenly came to the bug in the wall. Her gaze darkened. “ **The Nosk...that is what you are...** ” she solemnly stated.

“ **Indeed.** ” the shapeshifter confirmed, her tone menacing.

The two sat there in an intense silence, before the Midwife spoke up. “ **My question remains the same, what is it that brings such a creature as you to my doorstep?** **And with that face as well?** ” The Midwife questioned, all excitement from her voice gone. Nosk pondered in thought for a moment before answering. “ **Having a fake face is quite common in these parts, wouldn’t you agree?** ” The Midwife glowered behind her mask. “ **It’s to my amusement to steal the faces of those who are dear to ones such as yourself, all for my own pleasure...** ”. Nosk smirked.

“ **And what of my other question, Nosk?** ” Midwife grumbled in response.

“ **It is as you may have guessed, I seek information.** ” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, this story is gonna be a lot longer than I originally thought- I’m thinkin the Deepnest bit will last probably about 1-2 more chapters. Nosk’ll meet Tuk eventually!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nosk finds herself with a New Face

Nosk expectantly stared at the Midwife, waiting for an answer.

“ **You wish for information shapeshifter? Depending on what you seek,** I  **may be willing to answer…** ” Midwife spoke, leaning her head against one of her many limbs. “ **However,”** She continued, “ **I must ask, what reason does the shapeshifter have for my expertise, if you’ll indulge my curiosity, hee hee.** ” She smiled.

Nosk hesitated for a moment before answering. “ **My precious meals have become quite scarce for a long while now. Due to recent events I have decided to abandon Deepnest and search for more delectable food elsewhere.** ” The shapeshifter paused, shuffled awkwardly, then continued. “ **However, the problem is, Midwife, I do not know much of the lands outside of Deepnest.** ”

“ **Which is why you need my assistance…** ” The large bug in the wall concluded.

Nosk nodded, twisting her head to the side with a slight pop. Midwife glared at the shapeshifter with slitted eyes, then paused, thinking. She turned her head away from the shapeshifter disguised in stolen red robes, and pondered for a moment, before mumbling. “ **Hmm, yes. Perhaps I may be of assistance…** ” She tapped a limb on her mask a couple of times, before facing Nosk once more. “ **I am willing to assist you, vile creature. However, the information you seek will come at a cost.** ” Nosk snapped her head around to stare at the bug in the wall. “ **A cost?** ” She snarled.

“ **What? Were you expecting something for free, vile cretin?** ” Midwife hissed back. Nosk attempted to retort, but was silenced. Midwife lifted a claw before continuing, “ **I shall trade you what you seek,** **_Nosk_ ** **, but only if you will listen to a bit of advice I wish to share.** ” The shapeshifter stared dumbfounded at the beast.

“ **Then speak.** ” Nosk retorted, angrily looking away. “ **I don’t wish to stay in your presence much longer.** ” She grumbled, finally annoyed. Midwife smirked. “ **_I wish for the same, shapeshifter._ ** ” She spoke under her breath. Nosk glared at the smug look of the bug. 

“ **Now then, you wanted to leave Deepnest and travel beyond, yes?** ” Midwife Questioned.

Nosk nodded angrily.

“ **You shouldn’t, not with that appearance.** ”

“ **Wha-** “ The shapeshifter tried to question.

Midwife continued. “ **My advice is that you choose a face unknown to this world. Unless you wish to be mistaken for somebug of importance and spread** **_horrid_ ** **false rumors.** ”

Nosk tried to cut in. “ **Midwife wha-** “

The Midwife rose her voice, “ **Whatever rumors may spread, the poor bug falsely accused, shall search for vengeance.** ” 

“ **HOW CAN I CHOOSE A FACE UNKNOWN, WHEN THE OPPOSITE HAS BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE?!** ” Nosk finally managed to spit out. She huffed angrily, slowing down to catching her breath.

The Midwife stared silently at the face-changer disguised as the gendered child. She spoke, unfazed to Nosk’s outburst. “ **In the North of this place, there lives a bug who may help you. They are a mask maker. Ask them to fix you up with a new face.** ”

The shapeshifter turned to leave.

“ **Once you have found a suitable appearance, come back to me, and I shall give you what you seek.** ”

  
  


“ **Fine.** ” Nosk spat. Without looking back, the shapeshifter leapt upwards, leaving the dark home of the Midwife. After retreating upwards a small ways, Nosk stopped on a ledge overlooking a large pit of spikes. Allowing herself a moment of rest, she sighed and pressed a claw to her disguised forehead.

  
  


“ **_How...alluring._ ** ”

  
  
  


———————————————-

  
  


_ Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. _

_ The sound of tapping echoed throughout the silent room. _

A large bug, cloaked in green, sat alone in their messy little home, chiseling away at their current project. Masks of various sizes littered the table the mysterious bug sat at, and more sat motionless on the walls. Small light bringing lumaflies were attached to the ceiling in glass globes. They flickered as the large bug quickly chiseled away at the unfinished mask with one of their hands. With their other, they delicately stroked a paint brush against another mask.

The Mask Maker was a diligent worker, and wasn’t deterred as a shadow crawled into the room.

“ **_Mask Maker…_ ** ” the shadow hissed. 

The large bug continued working silently.

“ **Make me a mask.** ” The shapeshifter demanded, stepping from the shadows with the appearance of a round bug with a single sharp horn.

The Mask Maker didn’t look up as he responded. “A wonderful thing to have, a face that is. Not all creatures are born a face...Nor one who can shift many.” He briefly glanced up at the shapeshifter. 

“Say...why does the one of many faces want a mask, if they already have an assortment of their own?” The Mask Maker hummed as he continued to smooth the mask in front of him.

The shapeshifter sighed, shifting uncomfortably in her tight disguise. “ **There are drawbacks, maker of masks. Drawbacks in which this** **_creature of many faces_ ** **takes of those in dear. Bugs of sentience will become a hassle.** ” She angrily hissed.

The Mask Maker hummed in thought as he dipped a dried paintbrush into a jar of white paint.

“ **It’s come to light that having a hold on a single appearance is much more desirable than one that is shared with those who’ve been lost. Especially whenever one stares at you.** ” Nosk continued bitterly.

The Mask Maker took a second to gather his words, before responding. “I grant faces to those unfortunate that make the request. A gift it is, and one you shall receive, changer of faces.” 

Nosk visibly perked up.

“However,” the Mask Maker warned, “to change one’s face, if willing to forever conceal it, will often be met with an innermost battle. Be wary, shapeshifter.” The large bug went back to furnishing the masks in front of him.

Meanwhile, the face-changer stood in front of the mysterious bug’s desk silently, confusedly mulling over his words. A small bit of time passed, and Nosk was begging to get impatient.

“ **Must I wait for long, Mask Maker?** ” she eventually asked, shifting her weight onto one leg.

The large bug calmly responded. “Return to me within the hour, it will be then when your new identity will be completed.”

————-

The shape-shifter had reverted back to her original form and was impatiently pacing around the outer cave that led to the Mask Maker’s quarters.

“ _ I’m a little bit antsy…..so what? _ ” She thought to herself. Nosk stopped pacing and plopped down on the ground. “ _ I can wait. _ ” She tried to convince herself...

———————

  
  


“The Mask is complete, changer of faces.” The Mask Maker held out the freshly made mask. 

Nosk nervously walked over and grabbed the mask out of the Mask Maker’s hands. She stroked the mask with a limb, noticing how smooth it was…  _ “It’s almost like a bug’s natural face. _ ” She thought silently. The shapeshifter lifted the mask to her head and paused.

“ **A face that is mine and mine alone, as well as unknown….How...Alluring** .” Nosk mumbled. 

The Mask Maker went back to work.

“ **But it will have to do** .” She determined silently, placing the mask over her shrouded head.

————————-

“ **Now Midwife….** ” The Face-Changer smiled once returning to the Midwife's home.

“ **Which way to the Royal Waterways?** ”

(Here's some old concept doodles for Nosk w/ her new mask cause I didn't know how to properly describe it!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's in guys, she did it! she said it! *doot*
> 
> Did Nosk really need to get a Mask from the Mask Maker? Yes. >:)
> 
> Fun Fact: I had the Mask Maker scene planned out since the very beginning! Mwa ha!  
> \----------------------  
> Also I'm not dead, sorry for the really long wait in between chapters. ^w^'


End file.
